In the hit game of the WTA Finals in Cancun, the leader of women's world tennis rankings lost to the current no. 2 (and former leader) 3:6, 2:6. Now, if Świątek wins the final against USA's Jessica Pegula on Monday, she will reclaim the throne, returning to the no. 1 spot in the rankings.
Because of stormy conditions, the semi-final originally scheduled for Saturday was paused and rescheduled for Sunday after only 3 games were completed. Restarting the game was planned for 4:30 PM local time (10:30 PM in Europe) on Sunday, but once again the weather in Cancun did not allow the match to start on time - and it was postponed by almost 2 hours.
Luckily, when the game finally restarted - it went on without further interruptions. And as if she wanted to finish the matter before the weather plays another trick - Świątek steamed ahead from the first ball played, already breaking the serve of Sabalenka in the first game after the restart. The Pole was focused, aggressive, precise and composed - and despite her best efforts, Sabalenka was unable to find a way to stand up to her.
26 minutes of playing on Sunday (and 45 minutes of the game in total) were enough for the Pole to win the first set 6:3 - and her opponent was getting more angry by the minute. Soon after, when Świątek broke the Belarusian's serve in the second set taking a 2-1 lead, the referee had to warn the ranking leader as she smashed her racket against the court and screamed in anger. Meanwhile, Świątek seemed to have reached tennis' nirvana - with zero unforced errors in the first set from the moment it was restarted.
In the second set, Światek's advantage only grew. The result 6-3, 6-2 well reflects the difference in quality presented by each of the esteemed players on Sunday night.
Świątek has already won 67 matches this year, with only 11 losses. On Sunday she may win her sixth title in 2023. If she does, she will become the world's number one again. The final against Jessica Pegula will not be easy though. The American is also having a very good season (59 wins, 17 losses, two titles.) Like Świątek - she also won all of her matches in Cancun, and she has a streak of nine victories in a row, as before the WTA Finals she won the tournament in Seoul in a flawless manner.
The final of the WTA Finals in Cancun is planned for Monday, at 4:30 PM local time (10:30 PM in Europe).
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Source: PAP, sport.pl, x.com/WTA